If you're undergoing physio as part of your recovery from an injury, you're no doubt doing everything you can to speed up the healing process and get the best results possible at your physiotherapy sessions.

Getting the right nutrition can have a brilliant impact on the body's recovery rate so try incorporating the following three foods into your diet to help your muscles, tendons and ligaments become stronger and healthier.

1. Colourful fruit and veggies

Vitamin C, which is found in lots of colourful fruits and vegetables, helps to produce collagen throughout the body. Collagen is a major building block of our body's connective tissues, including tendons, ligaments and muscles, so by improving your body's collagen production you can help damaged tissues to heal faster. You should therefore eat plenty of citrus fruits, bell peppers and strawberries to get plenty of collagen-producing vitamin C into your body.

2. Oily fish

Omega-3 fatty acids, which are found in oily fish, are brilliant for our overall health and cardiovascular system, but many people are unaware of the benefits they provide to muscles, too. Muscle and tendon injuries can often result in the affected area being inflamed and sore, which can reduce range of motion and make physio painful and less effective.

Omega-3 has been found to minimise tissue inflammation and pain in order to allow the affected muscles and tendons to perform better during physiotherapy. Fish with the highest levels of omega-3 fatty acids include mackerel, trout, salmon, herring and sardines.

3. Lean meat

Proteins are incredibly important for muscle growth and recovery so for to build up weakened muscles it's important to consume plenty of protein-rich foods. Lean meats such as chicken and turkey are a great way to eat lots of protein without consuming too much unhealthy fat. Beans and nuts are also fantastic sources of protein so aim to include these into your diet regularly, too.

Don't forget to drink water with your new diet

Your physiotherapist will often recommend that you drink water after each treatment, but it's a good habit to continue to drink plenty of water throughout the recovery process. It is believed that after massage or physical therapy toxins in the muscles are released into the body and being thoroughly hydrated helps to flush them completely from your system. Aim to drink 2 to 3 litres of water each day and even more if you've been in very warm conditions.

Contact a company such as Raw Therapies to learn more.